


Wylie's Girl

by Lynda Sappington (HowNovel)



Category: Starman (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1988-12-10
Updated: 1988-12-10
Packaged: 2017-11-19 17:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HowNovel/pseuds/Lynda%20Sappington
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Paul and Scott follow a lead on Jenny's whereabouts that puts them on the east coast, too near to Fox for Scott's comfort.  Wylie discovers a companion in the person of the proprietor of the local record store.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wylie's Girl

**Author's Note:**

> A very special thank You to Patrick Culliton, our own "Agent Wylie", STARMAN Fan Extraordinaire, and friend.
> 
> Many thanks to Desertgal, Cheryl and Candi for their help, advice and friendship. You're the best!
> 
> Copyright (c) December 1988, by Lynda Sappington. "Wylie's Girl" is a non-profit, amateur publication written for the enjoyment of STARMAN fans, and is not meant to infringe upon copyrights held by Henerson-Hirsch and Michael Douglas Productions, Columbia Pictures Television, or ABC-TV.
> 
> Material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced without the express permission of the author.

Wylie's Girl  
A STARMAN Story  
By Lynda Sappington

It started out very simply, really. Wylie had been enjoying working in the garden beside the garage of his small house in suburban Virginia. A smile of satisfaction broke through his sweat-streaked face as he wiped the dirt from his hands and dusted off his grubby jeans. He enjoyed having fresh vegetables with the infrequent meals he had at home, especially since he had to eat fast food so often due to the constant traveling involved in his job.

After he showered and put on fresh, comfortable jeans, a T-shirt and his well-worn Nikes, Wylie settled down to listen to some of his recordings of Broadway musicals. He leaned his head against the high back of the deeply cushioned couch and closed his eyes, picturing in his mind the scenes being performed on the recording. The house reverberated with the lush orchestrations and the powerful voices of the performers. As he continued to listen, he gazed at the framed theatre and movie posters crowded together on his walls. Theatre was his first love, music his second. He often spent entire evenings listening to show after show, unless there was one to watch on PBS or cable.

Wylie opened the Washington paper to the entertainment section, where an ad for the touring company of CATS caught his eye.

"Huh. I'd like to see that," he muttered. He grinned to himself. "Talking to yourself again, eh, Wylie? You'll have to watch it — that's the first sign of insanity!"

Remembering he'd been intending to buy the albums for both CATS and LES MISERABLES, Wylie roused himself from his comfortable seat and left for the record store.

"Back again, Mr. Wylie? What are you looking for this time?" asked the manager of the little record shop, Katie Q'Hara. She had helped him find several old and rare recordings in the past. His taste in music was far-ranging and eclectic, and it was always interesting to see what had piqued his curiosity each time.

"I'm looking for the original cast albums for CATS and LES MISERABLES," Wylie replied. He smiled at Katie. She was in her mid-thirties, petite, with black hair and snapping green eyes, a freckled nose and a dimpled grin. She was cute, not beautiful, but her warm smile lighted up her face. Wylie was too shy to have gotten beyond the conversation involved in conducting their business very often, although he'd thought many times that he'd like to get to know her better.

As Katie rang up Wylie's purchases, she glanced up at his quiet face. He looked like a sweet-natured, gentle man, but he rarely said enough for her to get to know him very well. He was around 40, tall, dark-haired, broad-shouldered, with a strong, husky frame that must have delighted his high school football and wrestling coaches. His big brown eyes flashed with excitement the few times he got involved in telling her something about a show he'd seen, or a concert he'd attended. He had thick, dark brows which made him look rather stern when he drew them together in concentration. He was very intelligent, but thought slowly and deeply about anything that caught his interest. It was rare for him to make snap decisions, for he found they were all-too-often wrong. Katie admired him for his serious consideration of most things, and never rushed him.

As he paid for the records, Katie asked him, "Have you heard that CATS is coming to town?"

"Yes, the ad in the paper is what reminded me I'd intended to buy these records. I'm hoping to go see CATS when it's here, if I'm in town."

"I love the music from that show. I hope I can see it sometime," Katie replied.

Wylie glanced up at her, considering. He didn't have time to make very many friends, with ail the traveling he had to do as an agent with the Federal Security Agency. He was constantly having to go all over the country with his boss, George Fox, trying to catch the "alien", Paul Forrester. He could hardly remember the last time he'd taken a lady friend out to dinner and a show. Surprising himself, on a sudden impulse he asked, "Would you like to go with me to see it?"

Katie's dimpled grin lit up her face. "Oh, Mr. Wylie, I'd love to! Thank you for asking." She'd been trying for months to find a way to get to know him better, and here the opportunity had been dropped in her lap!

"It's Ben," Wylie responded with a smile. "'Mr. Wylie' sounds awfully formal."

"Okay, Ben," Katie said, returning his smile.

"Which night would you like to go?" Ben asked.

"My schedule is fairly flexible," Katie responded. "How's yours?"

"I'll have to check at work to be sure, but I think the Thursday performance will be best for me. I'll call tomorrow and let you know, okay?"

"Sure, that would be fine," Katie replied.

Ben picked up his purchases and glanced admiringly at Katie. He couldn't believe he'd had the nerve to ask her out, and that she'd accepted. He smiled shyly at her as he left, and went whistling cheerfully to his car.  
  
---  
  
At dawn of the day Ben and Katie were to go see CATS, he was on a stakeout of a cheap hotel in Arizona. The FSA team had been watching this hotel for hours, and they were all tired, cold and irritable. As is common in the desert, although the previous day had been terribly hot, the night had been bitterly cold, and the sun hadn't yet begun to warm things.

Wylie held his Styrofoam coffee cup gripped in both hands, as if to warm himself from the lukewarm coffee in it. His boss, George Fox, had received a report from an FSA field agent that a photographer named Forrester was in the area shooting some scenic pictures for a magazine. Some of the photos had appeared in a newspaper ad for the upcoming issue of the magazine. As usual, Fox had hauled Wylie and a few other agents to Forrester's last known location, trying desperately to capture the photographer and his son, Scott.

"Wylie, go check the stairway again," Fox ordered.

"Mr. Fox, I checked that stairway not five minutes ago, and you can see it from here. It's cold out there," Wylie complained.

"Wylie," Fox growled, "just do it!"

Grumbling under his breath, Wylie wearily got out of the car and trudged to the stairway, half-heartedly checking the area to see if he was being observed. He climbed slowly up the stairs, and glanced at the door of the room where Forrester and his son were reported to be staying. To his dismay, the door was ajar, and the room inside appeared to be vacant. He sidled up to the door and eased it open, gun in hand. It was obvious the room had been vacated in haste, from the drawers still hanging open and the tumbled appearance of the beds.

"Oh, no. Not again!" Wylie groaned in disgust as he holstered his gun and squared his shoulders in preparation for the verbal abuse he knew to expect from Fox. Forrester and the boy somehow almost always seemed to give them the slip, and Fox usually took his frustrations out on Wylie. The few times Fox had managed to capture the elusive Forrester or Scott, they had either been helped to escape or managed to get away on their own.

"They WHAT? How could they get past us? We had the place under constant surveillance!" Fox, as usual, took his anger out on Wylie, and Wylie just bowed his head resignedly under Fox's tirade.

"Mr. Fox, we thought we had every possible escape route covered, but they seem to have gotten out a small bathroom window over the alley. They must have hidden in that delivery truck we saw go by. That window was the only other exit from the room, and we thought it was too small for them to climb through," he replied miserably.

"You thought? You THOUGHT? Wylie, are you trying to tell me...." Fox made a visible effort to control his temper. Gritting his teeth, he put his hands on his hips, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths.

"Never mind, Wylie," Fox said with a tightly-controlled quietness in his voice. "See if you can find any witnesses, anyone at all, who either saw Forrester and the boy leave, or knows where that truck was headed, and get the police to look for it too." Fox dismissed Wylie with a wave of his hand while shaking his head in disgust. Another failure. Why couldn't he get better help than Wylie and the rest of these incompetents?

>  
  
---  
  
Fox was considered by others in the FSA to be on the verge of insanity, due to his compulsive, all-consuming passion to find and capture Paul Forrester and his son. Fox had managed to produce some scant evidence on occasion which somehow backed up his claim that Forrester was an alien from outer space, and that his son was the product of a union between this space creature and a human woman, Jenny Hayden. The few medical reports he d been able to obtain on Forrester showed some abnormalities in their findings, but "nothing conclusive", as his superiors often told him.

Wylie had great respect for Mr. Fox's abilities, and admired him for his quick mind and his dedication, but Wylie hated the way Fox expected his men to treat Forrester and his son. He was especially bothered by the FSA's rough treatment of the boy. The few times Wylie had had close contact with Scott, he had found him to be a likeable young man, apparently very intelligent, but understandably frightened and angry at being pursued and held against his will. The obviously strong bond of love and loyalty between Scott and his father touched Wylie deeply. Aliens or not, they knew how to love and care for each other. He sometimes wondered why all people didn't care for each other this way.

Wylie had often wished he'd had children. He and Forrester were close to the same age. He could have had a teenage son by now too, if his life had been different. He felt sorry for Forrester and the boy. Scott's reaction of fear and anger to Fox's relentless pursuit seemed perfectly logical to Wylie. Forrester seemed to be concerned mostly with protecting his son, even to the point of allowing himself to be caught if necessary to give Scott a better chance to escape. Wylie thought he would feel the same way in similar circumstances, frightened and angry like Scott, protective of his child like Forrester.

>  
  
---  
  
Fox combed the area for leads, trying to locate his quarry again, but had no luck. He and his men boarded their return flight to Washington, most of them bone-weary and disgusted. Wylie was actually pleased they hadn't found Forrester, so he would be home in time for his date with Katie. All the men slept on the flight back except Fox, who was busily trying to figure out where Forrester would head next.

"Wylie! Wylie, wake up!" Fox hissed as he poked the contentedly-snoring Wylie with his elbow.

"Huh? What is it, Mr. Fox?" Wylie rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to appear alert.

"We'll try Sedona next, I think. I bet the Hayden woman is back in the area," Fox said eagerly, pointing to a map covered with notations of previous sightings of Forrester.

"No, sir, we had that checked already," Wylie replied. "Her brother and sister-in-law have moved away from New Mexico, and the lady who had the art gallery in Sedona has moved to Colorado. We ran a check on her and on the Geffners as soon as we heard Forrester was in Arizona again."

Fox looked at Wylie in amazement. This was so incredibly efficient of Wylie, Fox found it hard to believe. He questioned Wylie further, and every avenue of research he could come up with Wylie had already covered. Wylie might not think quickly, but he was thorough. Fox sat back in his seat and tried the rest of the trip home to think of the best areas to search next. Wylie gratefully relaxed in his seat and drifted off to sleep.  
  
---  
  
Once home, Wylie enjoyed a long hot shower, then shaved and dressed for his date with Katie. She'd always been easy to talk with in the music store, but he had never imagined she would agree to go out with him. He'd never even thought of asking her before, not only because of his natural shyness, but also because he thought she was so pretty and so much fun, he had assumed she must have a very busy social life. He was elated that she had accepted his invitation. As he drove to her apartment, he exuberantly harmonized with a lively song on the radio in his rich, but too rarely used, baritone.

In her small apartment, Katie was choosing and discarding outfits to wear with cheerful abandon. She had several that would be very nice for the evening, but she wanted to be sure she wore exactly the right dress, just the right jewelry, fixed her hair perfectly, and chose a perfume that had the right effect. She hadn't felt so flustered dressing for a date in a long time. It was fun to anticipate an evening out with a man who intrigued her as Ben Wylie did. She just knew there was an interesting, fun person hiding behind that quiet exterior.

When the doorbell rang a short time later, she was ready, but was considering changing outfits yet again. The emerald-green silk dress reflected the green in her eyes. She wore a pearl necklace and earrings, and white heels. The effect was lovely. She shrugged at her reflection in the mirror.

"I guess this one will have to do!" she said as she rushed to answer the door.

"Hi, Ben. Don't you look nice!" she exclaimed. Wylie was resplendent in a three-piece navy suit, much better-fitting than the suits he usually wore to work since it didn't have to accommodate a shoulder holster. He looked embarrassed at her praise.

"You look awfully pretty yourself," he responded diffidently as he handed her a small bouquet of flowers.

Funny, Katie had never actually thought of him as shy, just as one of those quiet men who had very little to say. She took the flowers with a smile, and invited Ben to come in and sit down while she put them in water. She talked gaily as she moved around her apartment, trying to put him at ease. He responded in quiet monosyllables, glancing bashfully around at her apartment. It was a comfortable place, with ruffled curtains and bright colors, handmade quilted pillows on the furniture and hand-embroidered pictures on the walls. Katie was obviously a talented lady who enjoyed making her home attractive. Wylie began to relax a little, enjoying her lively, humorous banter.

Over dinner, Ben and Katie got to know each other better. They found many things in common, such as a dislike of seafood, a love for fine steaks, and a background of aspirations for the arts.

"You're kidding, you wanted to make a career of the theatre too? What an incredibly small world!" Katie exclaimed. "Tell me about it. What kind of training did you have? What parts did you do where?" she asked eagerly.

"I took acting classes, singing lessons, fencing lessons, all the usual stuff," Ben replied modestly. His face lit up with a favorite memory. "I did develop a neat magic act. People who knew me didn't believe I could do sleight of hand so well." He chuckled. "They had no idea how many hours of practice it took!" he said with a rueful grin.

"I love magic, Ben. Would you show me sometime?" Katie asked.

"Well....you seem to have something stuck in your ear," he smiled as he reached across the table. His hand brushed Katie's ear gently, and he showed her a coin which he'd seemed to pull from her ear. Katie laughed delightedly.

"That was terrific!" she exclaimed. "You're very good!"

"Naah. That's the easiest trick in the book."

"Where did you perform?" Katie asked.

"Magic? Wherever I could, mostly for fun. I started out in acting at the Arena Stage here in DC, then I went to New York to try my luck."

"Boy, are you brave! How did it go?"

"Actually, it was surprising how quickly I got work. I was in a couple of off-Broadway shows, then I got a very nice part on Broadway in a musical. It was great fun while it lasted. I even got good reviews!" Ben shook his head at the memory.

"What did you do next?"

"Uncle Sam needed some fresh cannon-fodder, I guess. I wound up in Vietnam."

"How long were you there'?"

"Long enough," he said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I know a lot of guys don't like to talk about the war."

"I don't actually mind talking about it," he replied. "It just changed my life so much. I haven't thought about it in a long time." Ben was quiet for a moment, then abruptly changed the subject. "Tell me about your theatrical ambitions, Katie."

Katie shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't do nearly as well as you, Ben," she said, "I had wanted to be a professional singer, but I just didn't have the nerve to commit myself to it totally. I've always liked to be certain of having a roof over my head, and eating regularly! I've heard too often about actors or singers either working for years as waiters or something, or living for months on end in vans or cars, eating nothing but brown rice. Yuck! I just couldn't face that, so I simply puttered around in local choruses and wherever else I could. I guess I just didn't have that much talent or ambition in the first place. You must be very talented to have made it so far. Are you an actor now?"

Ben grinned. "No, far from it!"

"Why not, if you were doing so well?"

"'Nam," he replied grimly.

Katie hesitated for a moment. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

Wylie was silent for a while, then sighed deeply as he began. "I've always tried to do my best at everything I do, and the Army was no different. The captain liked how I handled patrols, and often had me lead them. One time we were — well, that's not good table conversation."

"No, that's all right. I've heard from my brother that being on patrol is terribly dangerous. Your captain must have had a lot of confidence in you to put you in charge of it." Somehow Katie knew what he was trying to tell her was extremely important to him, and that it hadn't been told very often, if at all.

"Your brother was in 'Nam? Where did he serve?"

"He flew choppers carrying the wounded out of the battlefields. He thought he wanted to be a writer, so he kept journals telling about everything that happened," Katie said quietly.

"Those chopper pilots had it rough. They did an incredible job getting guys out under fire. Did your brother make it out all right?" Ben asked with concern.

"Yes, he lives in Manassas now. He works for IBM repairing machinery. He's married and has a couple of kids."

"That's good. Too few guys made it home in one piece."

"Were you wounded, Ben?" Katie asked with concern.

"Oh, yeah. The Army was proud of me, too. Gave me a bunch of medals and a pair of crutches and put me and the other 'walking wounded' on a plane full of coffins. Sent us home with the other heroes." The bitterness was plain in his face and voice.

"Oh, Ben, I'm sorry," Katie said, putting her hand on his arm.

Wylie was quiet as his mind turned back the years. When he returned home to recover from his wounds, the country treated him as it did most Vietnam-era vets — no fanfare, no welcome home, no thanks. It would be many years before Wylie and many vets like him would feel the healing spirit of finally being honored by their countrymen.

Ben sighed as he continued, "Anyway, when I got back, I tried to go back to the theatre. I knew I'd lost an awful lot of time, and would have to work hard to make up for it, but the war did something to my nerves, I guess. I couldn't take the insecurity of pursuing acting full-time, as you said about yourself." Katie nodded understandingly. "It seemed to take a lot more direction for me to perform well, and I didn't handle auditions as well as before. I finally realized I just couldn't work as well as I expected myself to in the theatre anymore, so I gave it up." He made a visible effort, to lighten the mood. "So....Now I hang around record shops where there are pretty ladies who will help me find the records I want!"

Katie glowed appreciatively at his gallantry, as Ben signaled for the check. Somehow, she knew she was the first person in a very long time to learn of his past ambitions. It amazed her how far he'd gone in the theatre before the war, and saddened her that he'd given up his dream. Now she saw him in a whole new light, as he did her. Learning of each other's former hopes and dreams gave them a better understanding of the people they had become. They had gone to dinner as casual acquaintances, but they went to the theatre as friends.

>  
  
---  
  
The show was outstanding, and Katie and Ben happily joined in the thunderous applause at the end. As they drove back to Katie's apartment, they enjoyed an animated discussion of the play, the music, the actors, the singing, all the components that made the show successful.

"Oh, Ben, it's been a wonderful evening! Thank you so much for asking me," Katie said as she unlocked her door. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"

"Thanks, but I'd better get home," he responded. "I have to get up early. My boss wants us to go to Colorado in the next day or so, and I have some work to catch up on before we leave."

"You sure do travel a lot. You never have told me what you do. "

"I work for the government," he replied warily. He wasn't supposed to tell what he did unless it was absolutely necessary, and he was kind of embarrassed at the main objective of his department — catching an 'alien' from outer space. He'd been ridiculed often enough about his job, and he had no desire for Katie to think him foolish.

"Do you work for the FBI, or the Defense Department, or what? I've always thought you must be either an engineer or a policeman. I don't know why. Probably just a silly impression of mine. I tend to categorize people — I guess it's sort of a hobby, in a way — but I'm often wrong."

"I'm not an engineer, I'm more like a policeman. I work in security."

"I bet it's exciting work, isn't it?"

Ben sighed. "Sometimes, but mostly it's just routine. Read reports, write reports, follow up leads, sit for hours waiting for things to happen. It's pretty dull most of the time."

"I think you're just being modest, Ben. You seem to be very conscientious and thorough, and you know so much about so many things! I'll bet you're really good at your job." Katie's praise was sincere. She had been truly surprised at now far-ranging his interests were, and how deeply he'd studied each object of his interest.

When Katie told him this, Wylie actually blushed. He hadn't been praised for anything in such a long time, he just didn't know how to take it. He was much more used to being told how incompetent he was.

Ben's job was a constant frustration to him. Through much hard work, constant study of the ever-changing FSA regulations and guidelines, and several college courses in law enforcement, he had managed to get ahead in the agency. Unfortunately, he once had to work for a man who was very powerful in the FSA, and who expected each man working for him to be a creative, independent thinker who didn't need much supervision. Disgusted with Wylie's need for guidance, he assigned Wylie to the worst job he could think of, that of being chief assistant to the compulsive and irritating George Fox, something which this man felt both Fox and Wylie deserved. Wylie's bumbling drove the quicksilver Fox to distraction, but they somehow managed to work together without either of them killing the other — yet.

"Well, I'd better get going. I enjoyed our evening together." Ben hesitated a moment, then said in a rush, "Could we go out again sometime?"

"I'd like that, Ben. I've enjoyed this evening a lot too." Katie smiled up at Wylie affectionately, her sparkling green eyes teasing his serious brown ones. Her smile widened as she watched Wylie try to find something else to say. His shyness had overcome him again. Poor Ben, she thought, he's so sweet, but sometimes he's so bashful. She knew it would probably take a while for him to be comfortable enough in her company to feel relaxed with her. He'd opened up a lot tonight, but it was sporadic, and then he'd get shy all over again. She thought he was one of those exceptional men who would be well worth the wait to get to know. She was willing to be patient. She liked Ben a lot.

As Katie was thinking these things, Wylie was searching his mind for some "witty, sophisticated" way of saying good night to her. He wished he was better with words, more self-confident and at ease with people. He liked Katie a lot. It had been a long time since he'd met someone whose company he so enjoyed. He had so wanted to make a good impression on her, but he felt he'd botched the evening in many ways. He still found it hard to believe he'd told her nearly his whole life story over dinner. He hoped she'd forgive him for that. Surely she had to have been bored, he thought, but she was such a good listener, words just seemed to pour out of him. He'd been lonelier than he'd realized for a long time, and her attention to him was like water to a thirsty man.

As Wylie stood gazing at the floor in uncomfortable confusion, he found Katie's small, soft hand in his. Looking into her sparkling eyes, he was charmed by the warmth in them. He smiled as he gently squeezed her hand, then impulsively leaned down and kissed her. He pulled back quickly, embarrassed at his forwardness, but he was relieved to see her still smiling at him. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and kissed her again, softly, savoring the moment they shared. When they parted, they stood silently for a moment, looking searchingly into each other's eyes. Then his shyness got the better of him again, and he nervously cleared his throat before speaking.

"Would it be all right if I called you when I get back from my trip?" he asked seriously.

"I'd like that," Katie replied. "I'll look forward to it."

Wylie beamed with obvious pleasure at her response.

"How long will you be gone, Ben?"

"It's hard to tell. It depends on how things go out there." Then Wylie surprised himself by continuing, "If it's going to be very long, I may call you from Colorado, just to see how' you're doing."

"I'd enjoy hearing from you, Ben," Katie responded warmly. "Call me anytime."

"Well....Goodnight, Katie. I'll call you soon," he said, smiling down at her.

"Thanks again for a wonderful evening, Ben! You be careful on your trip, now, you hear?" she added seriously.

Ben was touched by her concern. "I will. Take care. G'night."

"Goodnight," Katie said as she turned to enter her apartment.

Wylie walked away with a spring in his step that hadn't been there for years. His face, usually so stern and reserved, was wreathed with smiles, his posture was tall and confident. He hadn't felt this good in a very long time.

Katie watched Ben through her window as he walked to his car. She hugged herself happily, remembering the quiet, reserved man she knew from the store, and the shy, unsure escort of the early evening. The man who had left her had a confident air about him that made him so different than the Ben Wylie she had known before. What an interesting man he was! Drawing him out and finding out what he was really like beneath that shy exterior was going to be exciting.  
  
---  
  
"Dad, just exactly why do you think we need to go to Virginia? That will put us right in Fox's lap!" Scott exclaimed in exasperation as they trudged down the dusty Texas road.

Paul Forrester looked at his 15-year-old son with a twinkle in his warm blue eyes. "He'd never think of looking for us there, that's why!" he said breezily. At Scott's aggravated groan, Paul continued, more seriously, "I called your Uncle Wayne while we were in Arizona, and I found out they've moved. When I tracked him down through his construction company, he told me something that made me think we might find your mother in Virginia, Scott."

"What? Why didn't you tell me before? Where is she?" Scott's words tumbled out in rapid succession as he fairly danced with excitement. Paul put a restraining hand on his son's shoulder.

"I don't know for certain that she's there right now. I'm just hoping we may be able to get a lead on her. Wayne said she called him last month, trying to find out where an old friend of hers was living. The lady she wanted to know about is a lawyer who handles immigration and civil liberties cases now. She and Jenny went to high school together, and were good friends. Your mother wants to ask her if she can help us. This lady lives in Virginia now, near Washington, DC."

"WASHINGTON? Dad, are you seriously going to try to go near Washington and expect Fox not to find us? Give me a break!"

Scott shook his head in frustration, wanting to go to see if Jenny might be there, but knowing the dangers ahead, too. Paul didn't respond to Scott's anger, allowing him time to think it through.

After a few more moments of silently considering all the angles, Scott continued, "Dad, it's just too dangerous! Besides, why couldn't another lawyer do the same kind of thing for us? Why her?" Scott rarely got so irritated with his father. "If this lawyer business is such a good idea, why does Mom want to go to this friend who is in the most dangerous place possible for us, instead of just finding a lawyer someplace safer?"

"Scott, lawyers are expensive, and neither your mother nor I have that kind of money. Neither does your Uncle Wayne or Liz. We couldn't ask them to help pay for something that expensive anyway. Your mother thought her friend might be interested enough, and still be a good enough friend, to take the case for little or no money. Besides, this lady is apparently very good at what she does. She got Wayne's son, Jimmy, out of a Vietnamese orphanage and brought him here. Wayne had been told by a lot of other lawyers and government people that it would be impossible to get Jimmy out of there." Paul sighed. "I hope your mother's friend can help us too."

"Jimmy's with Uncle Wayne now?" Scott asked.

"Yes."

"How are they doing?"

"Wayne said it had taken a while for them to adjust to each other; but they're beginning to feel comfortable together. They're beginning to feel like a family." Paul gazed into Scott's troubled eyes. He could feel the turbulent thoughts in his son's mind. "Someday, we'll be a family, too, Scott," he said quietly, putting his arm around the boy's shoulders reassuringly.

"I sure hope it's soon. Dad," Scott replied. Suddenly he stopped, alarm on his face. "Dad! What if Uncle Wayne's phone was bugged? Fox is bound to keep tabs on him, trying to find Mom and us through them. Now they'll know where to look!"

"We made it as hard as we could for them to trace the call, Scott. I phoned the construction company, as I told you, and talked with a friend of your Uncle Wayne's who he had told me could be a contact for us if I ever needed to reach him. He said he would always let this man know how to contact him. I gave this man Liz Baynes' phone number in Chicago, and asked him to have Wayne get in touch with her. She made arrangements for Wayne to call me at a pay phone near our hotel in Arizona, and he used a pay phone 30 miles from his home. That was the safest way we could think of to be able to check with each other to see if either of us has heard from your mother. It's sort of complicated I know, but it would take a lot of work for Fox to be able to trace a call like that."

"You really are getting slick," Scott said with admiration.

"Thank you, Scott. 'Slick' is kind of fun, actually!" Paul chuckled.

Paul and Scott continued their trek east on the back country road. Soon they would be near Dallas, and would board a bus for Nashville, which was as far as the cash they had would take them. They'd have to get Liz Baynes to send them some money there, or get jobs. They didn't want to delay getting to Washington, so they were hoping Liz would be back from the business trip she was on by the time they got to Nashville.

They were a handsome pair. Both had thick, dark hair, Paul's curling only slightly around the edges, Scott's a mass of loose waves. Paul had the lean build of a long-distance runner, thin, broad-shouldered and tall. Scott was nearly as tall as his dad's 6'1", and had the gangly look of a half-grown colt, but it was apparent he would be more heavily muscled than his father. Already his shoulder and arm muscles were thicker than his dads. Their only real "family resemblance" was in their height and their dark hair, for Paul had wide-set, large blue eyes, a straight, finely-chiseled nose and full lips, and Scott had brown eyes, a shorter, turned-up nose and thinner, more sharply-defined lips. His hands were long and thin-boned, looking more like they belonged on Paul than on him, while Paul's hands were large and strong, and appeared to belong to someone built more solidly, like Scott.

Fox wasn't crazy — he was right. It was true that Paul was a visitor from a planet near the star known on Earth as Algeiba, and Scott was his half-alien, half-human son.

As they made camp that night on the Texas prairie, Paul looked at Scott and examined the emotions which thinking about his son brought out in him. Paul had learned that one of these was called "pride". He smiled as he watched Scott activate his sphere to light their campfire. The teenager was getting better and better at controlling and developing the powers he'd inherited from his Starman father.

"You're getting pretty good with your sphere now, Scott," Paul said with a smile.

"Yeah, at least I can start fires more quickly now. I've been working on moving stuff around some too, but it's still awfully inconsistent. I'll be glad when I understand more what the sphere's powers are. Are you ever going to tell me everything it can do?"

"That's something that will come with time, son. I don't think there are words to describe some of the powers the sphere has. Besides, the sphere may work differently for you in some ways than it does for me, because of who you are. I can't tell what differences your special nature will make, because there has never been anyone like you before. We'll both be learning and discovering about your powers as you grow up. That will help to keep life interesting, won't it?" he said with a chuckle.

"It sure will!" Scott agreed as they settled down for the night.

Watching Paul gazing 'at the stars, Scott was filled with wonder. It was still incredible to him that this man was actually a being from another world, and that he himself was half-human and half-alien. He knew this to be the truth, but it still struck him with awe to think of the vast distances his father had traveled, all the amazing things Paul had seen and knew about. Scott's face reflected his memories as he thought about the funny things that happened as a result of Paul's innocence about human ways. He remembered how hard it had been not to laugh at his dad's reaction when Casey, the lady veterinarian who had taken care of the peregrine falcon they'd found, had offered Paul another ear of corn at dinner- "Would you like another ear?" she had asked. Paul had looked dumbfounded, and carefully answered, "Thank you, I have all I need." Scott grinned to himself, remembering Paul's confusion as he had, once again, taken every word said to him literally. He hadn't yet learned that corn also had "ears". That was only one of many such instances. As Paul said, learning kept life interesting.

Scott was constantly kept busy teaching Paul how to survive on Earth and how to live as humans do. Although Paul learned quickly, there were some things which he would probably never understand, such as why grown men chased a ball all over a field, and war. Scott wondered if other boys felt about their dads the way he felt about his. He knew his father had traveled many light years to come to him, and was risking his life to protect and care for him. He was aware that other fathers would give their lives for their children, but he wondered if the children truly understood that fact. Somehow, he doubted it. The world would be a very different place if everyone understood and practiced that kind of totally unselfish love, given freely and joyfully, with no expectations weighing it down.  
  
---  
  
On a sleepy-warm day in late September, Wylie and Katie were enjoying their view of the Shenandoah Valley, as they picked at the remains of their lunch. They quietly watched a hawk, spiraling above them as it rode the thermals, then soared across the valley. The Blue Ridge mountains are beautiful any time of year, but this was a particularly lovely day, with the leaves just beginning to show their first blush of fall color, the sky a brilliant blue, and the air so clear, it seemed you could see forever.

Katie gathered up the dishes and table cloth and put them back in the picnic basket while Ben scattered the remaining bread and cake crumbs for the birds. After Ben put the basket by the car, he sat down next to Katie as she leaned her back against the gnarled trunk of a giant oak tree.

Ben had just returned from another business trip and was tired from jet-lag, but he had wanted to see Katie as soon as possible. He had called her before he returned, and Katie had met him at Dulles Airport with fresh, homemade food filling the car with tantalizing aromas. Ben was delighted with the spur-of-the-moment picnic. Now, as they looked out over the beautiful valley, Ben and Katie enjoyed the comfortable talk of the good friends they had become. Katie was catching him up on what had been happening while he was away.

"...and we have the nicest new boy working at the store. His name is Scott. I don't know what his family has done to raise him differently, but he's so sweet and polite — not at all like most boys his age."

"Hmmm," Ben replied sleepily as he stretched out in the dappled shade of the huge tree, his head cradled comfortably in Katie's lap. "I know a boy named Scott. He seems like a nice kid, too."

"Maybe it's the same boy," Katie suggested.

"No, this one lives near the West Coast," Ben replied with a yawn. "I doubt he'd ever come this far East." He stretched and yawned again, scratching his stomach. "I ate too much again. You're such a good cook. You're going to make me fat!" He smiled drowsily up at her.

Katie brushed the hair from his forehead, watching him fondly as he drifted off to sleep. It was such fun to cook for someone who so obviously loved home cooking. Katie greatly enjoyed making special things for Ben. In many ways he was a humble man who seemed to feel he didn't deserve special favors. He was always surprised and so touched when she went to extra trouble for him. Katie was having a lot of fun 'spoiling' him. She was elated that he'd been so happy about her surprise picnic. She leaned against the tree, watching Ben sleep, delighting in the beautiful, peaceful day, and knew she was happier than she had ever been before.  
  
---  
  
Scott ran his hand nervously through his dark, curly hair as he hurried down the street toward the record shop. He enjoyed his job in the shop, but he dreaded the exposure of going to and from school and work every day. He and his dad had been in Virginia for almost a week now, waiting for Jenny Hayden's friend to return from a trip. Scott had wanted to leave as soon as they found out the lawyer was gone, but Paul reasoned that, having come so far, it was only sensible for them to wait until she returned so they could ask her if she'd heard from Jenny.

Scott had taken the precaution of using his father's name at school. He figured Federal agents looking for a pair named Forrester and Hayden wouldn't be so likely to check up on a pair who shared the common name of Forrester. His usual excuse of his transcript being lost in the mail came in handy, since he was using a different last name than that on his records.

Being in Fox's "backyard" was nerve-wracking to Scott. He couldn't understand how his father could remain so calm. He d taken the job in the record store, and his father had taken one in a grocery store, so they could have enough money to make ends meet without being employed in the usual places Fox would look for them.

Paul, as usual, was philosophical about their circumstances. He thought the best part of his job was the extra groceries he was allowed to take home from the damaged or day-old goods. He joked good-naturedly with Scott about the strange combinations of food they ate because of making meals out of whatever Paul was allowed to bring home. Paul found it amusing to combine grits or macaroni and cheese with frozen vegetables, all from containers broken in shipping or unloading the crates.

"Hey, Dad," Scott asked one day, "couldn't you manage to break a box full of frozen pizzas, or 'accidently' rip open some nice, juicy steaks or something? Why don't you get a little creative with what you bring home?"

"If I got THAT creative, I'd be out of a job!" Paul laughed. "Just be happy that I've been careful not to break containers of sauerkraut or okra! How'd you like to live off those?"

"Gross!"

"Scott?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"What ARE sauerkraut and okra?"  
  
---  
  
Wylie knocked on Fox's office door.

"Yes, come in," Fox answered.

"Sir, we've just received a report of a sighting of Forrester and the boy in Tennessee. They were spotted at a bus terminal in Nashville," Wylie said, handing Fox a written report.

"Why in the world would they be this far east?" Fox wondered. "They've always stayed in the western states before." He thought a moment as he glanced over the report. "How reliable is this information, Wylie?"

"Stevens is one of our best men, sir, and he checked it out before reporting it. He couldn't believe they were this far east either."

"Maybe the Hayden woman is in the area. That could explain it." Fox was quiet a moment as he stood lost in thought in front of his map covered with pins which marked sightings of the alien. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute! Which way were they headed?"

"East, sir. We haven't found out yet where their ticket was for."

Fox moved his band quickly over the map, pinpointing Nashville, then moving his hand east across the state.

"Uh-huh! I knew he'd do something like this someday! I KNEW it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

Wylie was totally confused. "Like what, sir?"

"Don't you see, Wylie? It's right there in front of you, staring you in the face!"

"What is, sir?" The impetuous Fox always moved and thought too quickly for the more deliberate Wylie.

"Oak Ridge, Wylie! He must be headed there. Major research on atomic energy is done there, and they also enrich uranium to make plutonium to use for nuclear power. He must need more energy for some reason — maybe for his sphere, or maybe his health.... Maybe he's decided to leave, and needs power for his ship!" The more possibilities he thought of, the more excited Fox became.

"Well, Mr. Fox, if he wants to leave, why don't we let him?" Wylie asked reasonably.

Greatly exasperated, Fox replied, "Wylie, he'll just report to others of his kind about how easy it would be to take us over. We have to protect Oak Ridge at all cost! Line up five teams of three men each, and have two teams check around Oak Ridge for Forrester and the boy. Have one team stay at the lab and reactor there to beef up security. Have the other two teams follow the bus route from each end and scout the country around it, in case Forrester and the boy got off the bus early. You and I will coordinate the teams and.... What?"

Wylie had been trying to get a word in edgewise ever since Fox had started talking about "teams".

"Mr. Fox, the team idea won't work," Wylie said regretfully.

"What are you talking about, Wylie? Of course it'll work," Fox replied as he began making notes to himself.

"No, sir, it won't. I have a message here from General Wade. He's cutting our budget again." Wylie steeled himself for the explosion of outrage he knew was coming. He didn't have to wait long.

"What? Here's a threat to our national security like we've never had before, and he's cutting our budget? The man is mad! He has to be! Why, oh, why can't anyone else see the danger we're in?" Fox was beside himself with frustration. He shook himself, sighed deeply, and asked, "Well, what do we have money for?"

"You can send two men to Tennessee if you want, but no more than that. He also wants daily progress reports whenever you do any intensive field work like that." Wylie hoped Fox would remember not to blame the 'messenger' — in this case, Wylie — for the content of the message. He was glad he and Fox didn't live in ancient times, when messengers were killed for bringing bad news.

Fox was so angry, only strangled noises were coming -from him now. Wylie hoped Fox's heart was still in good shape. Fox looked ready to explode. Anyone else would have had a heart attack or a stroke by now. Fox made an obvious attempt to control himself.

"Wylie," Fox said in a tight voice, "Make arrangements for us to leave for Oak Ridge right away."

"Us, sir?" Wylie asked with sick apprehension.

"Us, Wylie. You. Me. Us." Fox replied, sarcasm plain in his voice. How he got saddled with an idiot like Wylie was beyond his comprehension.  
  
---  
  
Wylie was getting extremely tired of the way Fox treated people. Ben could understand Fox, being impatient when Wylie made a mistake, and Ben knew he made mistakes all too often, but, on this trip especially, Fox had been impatient and rude to everyone he met, which made this kind of investigation even more difficult. They had already been in Tennessee for over a week, and it had been day after day of frustrating, hopeless work, with no results. Fox had been kept busy writing daily 'progress' reports — which Wylie considered a total waste of time, since no progress had been made — and trying to compose a request for his budget to be not only maintained, but enlarged.

Oak Ridge's administration was notably unexcited by Fox's warning. They had promised to be alert, but had looked on George Fox as someone who was possibly more than just a little cracked himself. Fox and Wylie had then begun a sweep of the state by themselves. They had picked up a few clues which had led to back roads in the mountains. When they drove up to a house to check a lead, Fox would let Wylie do the initial questioning while he continued to work on his reports and budget request in the car.

The Tennessee mountain people had been consistently kind and considerate to Ben, offering him lemonade, tea or coffee, and pleasantly passing the time of day with him when he would first approach their homes. He would be friendly with them, then show Paul and Scott's photos, asking if the people had seen them. By the time the conversation reached this point, Fox would have impatiently burst from the car, demanding why Wylie was being so slow in his investigation. The Tennesseans open, warm faces closed coldly as soon as Fox flashed his badge and began his ruthless questioning. No amount of prodding could get them to admit anything about having seen Paul and Scott, or any other strangers besides Fox and Wylie in the hills in a very long time.

After many more days of frustration, Fox finally gave up and went home. Wylie felt he could almost see the steam coming out of Fox's ears from Fox's anger on the entire ride home. Ben was looking forward to having a few days at home, and seeing Katie again.  
  
---  
  
"Hi, Dad! This is a surprise," Scott exclaimed. It was his quitting time, and he was glad to be through with work for the day. It was just too pretty a day to be cooped up inside the record store, but Scott was enjoying his job, especially because he was earning some steady money. This was the first time his dad had come to see him here.

"I wanted to see where you work," Paul replied with a smile.

"I got off early, and the deli let me have some fried chicken and potato salad. I thought we'd have a picnic dinner. We've been eating inside for so long now I've almost forgotten what it's like to eat outdoors!" Paul exclaimed. He knew Scott was enjoying living in their small but comfortable apartment. Some of the tension had even left the boy's face as the uneventful, placid days had gone by.

"Sounds good to me, Dad," Scott replied. "You know I'm always ready to eat! Let me tell Katie I'm leaving now, okay?"

"Sure."

Scott moved to the storeroom where Katie was checking the new shipment into the inventory.

"Katie?" he called.

"Yes, Scott, do you need me?" she replied.

"Is it okay with you if I leave now? My dad's brought some fried chicken, and it'll get cold if I don't go help him eat it!" Scott knew Katie wouldn't mind him leaving. xIt had been a quiet day. There were no customers in the store at the time, and it was nearly closing time.

"Oh, hello, you must be Scott's father. So nice to meet you," she said, smiling at Paul as she came out of the back room. What a handsome father Scott had! Katie found it interesting that Scott and his dad only resembled in their dark hair and their height. Well, she knew other families where there was little family resemblance. Still, there was something similar about Scott and his father, some quality of attitude that shone through their eyes. As always, Katie found studying people to be endlessly fascinating.

"Nice to meet you, too," Paul responded. "We have plenty of chicken, if you'd like to join us."

"No, thank you, but I wouldn't want to impose on you."

"We'd enjoy your company, wouldn't we, Scott?"

Scott agreed cheerfully. He and Katie had become good friends, enjoying the same music, the same silly jokes, and had found they had many other things in common.

"Scott's told me a lot about you. I like to get to know his friends," Paul continued with a warm smile.

Katie found it hard to resist Paul's charm, and minutes later found herself closing up the record store, and following Paul and Scott to a nearby park. Ben had been gone to Tennessee only a few days, but Katie found herself feeling much lonelier now when he left on his business trips than she ever had before she and Ben had started seeing each other. She would enjoy being with some pleasant people this evening. She had been dreading another long, lonely evening without Ben.

>  
  
---  
  
"So, what do you do, Paul?" Katie asked as she picked up a piece of chicken.

Paul and Scott looked at each other, wondering if Katie might have heard of "Paul Forrester, photojournalist". Fortunately, it appeared she hadn't. They always hoped their luck would hold, and that nobody would recognize Paul's name or face. It was too bad Paul had to keep using his name because of his driver's license.

"I work in Bell's Grocery," Paul replied to Katie's inquiry. Paul and Scott had agreed that it just wasn't safe to even admit to Paul's being a photographer so close to Fox's home base. Paul wouldn't lie, it was against his nature. What he told Katie wasn't the whole truth, but it was what was true right at that moment.

"Do you like working there?" Katie asked.

"Yes, it's interesting work. I especially enjoy the days when they give out samples of different foods. On Fridays, you can get almost a whole meal by sampling everything offered! This past week I had to serve little tiny dips of ice cream in the smallest cones I've ever seen!" Paul chuckled. "But what's so amazing to me is the tremendous variety of vegetables and fruit. There are so many different sizes, shapes and colors. Do you know why eggplants are called that when they're purple and don't came from birds, or even look like eggs?" he asked earnestly.

"No, I don't," answered Katie with amusement.

Paul sighed. "I was hoping you would. Nobody seems to know! Another thing — why is a kiwi fruit called a kiwi, when it didn't come from a kiwi bird?"

Katie laughed delightedly. What an interesting way he had of looking at things that were ordinary to most people! "I don't know that either, Paul. We sure do have a funny language in some ways, don't we?"

"Yes, I guess we do," he agreed.

Katie greatly enjoyed getting to know Paul, as she had Scott. He had the same impish sense of humor as Scott, although it didn't show as often. The aura of innocence he had was strange to find in an obviously intelligent man who had to be around 40, and who seemed to have seen so much of the world. He had a refreshing excitement and pleasure about everything in the world around him, almost as if he was seeing or experiencing them for the first time. Katie reflected that it would make the world a much nicer place if everyone reacted that way to everyday sights or occurrences. This was indeed a special, unusual man.  
  
---  
  
As the days passed by with Ben still stuck in Tennessee with Fox, Katie saw more and more of Paul and Scott after work. Katie felt a little disloyal to Ben since she was seeing so much of Paul and Scott, and was so drawn to them, but her feelings for Ben were very different from her feelings for Paul. She couldn't have explained it if she'd had to. She'd grown to care deeply for Paul and for Scott. Scott was an absolute charmer — it was easy to become fond of him very quickly.

Paul made her see the world differently, and she felt a great warmth and love coming from Paul for everyone he encountered. He fascinated her, and she felt a strong desire to know him better, to learn to see things as he did. Katie had known for a long time now that Ben Wylie was more important to her than any man before had ever been, and important to her in a different way than Paul. Like the O'Hara she'd been named for, Katie Scarlett in GONE WITH THE WIND, Katie decided to 'think about it tomorrow'. For right now, she was just going to enjoy her newfound friends. She'd sort out how she felt about Paul and Ben later.  
  
---  
  
"Well, Scott, your mother's friend, Marie, is back from her trip," Paul said one evening about a week after he'd met Katie.

"Has she heard from Mom?" Scott exclaimed excitedly.

"No, she hasn't. I told her I'd call and check again in a few days. I think we'll be safe here for a little while longer, so we can wait and ask her again if she's heard from Jenny."

"Did you ask her if she thought she could help us somehow, maybe get Fox to leave us alone?" Scott asked eagerly.

"No, it will take a long time to explain our situation, and I think your mother or Uncle Wayne would understand better how to handle it than I would. Some of your laws just don't make any sense to me, and I'm afraid I'll make a mistake that will make things worse for us," Paul sighed with a puzzled shake of his head.

"Don't worry. Dad, you aren't the only one who can't make sense of some of our laws!" Scott replied reassuringly.

"That's good to know," Paul responded. "Your mother may contact Marie soon. Wayne said Jenny sounded like she would be calling her as soon as she could. I told Marie to tell Jenny Paul was looking for her, and that I would call to check again. It's taking a chance Fox will find us here, but if we can find Jenny..." Paul's voice faded away.

"Everything will be great!" Scott interrupted, clapping his father on the back.

"Yes," Paul agreed with a grin. He grabbed Scott in a big bear hug, both of their faces lighting up with the hope of finding Jenny soon.  
  
---  
  
One evening, as Paul stopped by the record shop to meet Scott and Katie for dinner, there was a grubby-looking man in the back of the store looking at some country records. He had long, unkempt hair, dirty, ripped jeans, and a loose shirt with baggy, rolled-up sleeves over his grimy, formerly-white T-shirt. Paul glanced at him briefly, then at the other few customers in the store. The others were clean and comfortably dressed. Paul wondered why this man came shopping without cleaning up some. Maybe he was a construction worker on his way home from his job.

Paul was distracted from wondering about the dirty customer by Scott, who was at the old-fashioned cash register, busy with a customer. The wooden cash drawer was sticking again, and Paul was increasingly amused at the faces Scott was making as he struggled to free it. Katie finally came over and got it open, She'd shown Scott several times where to hit it to make it slide easily again, but she was the only one, it seemed, who could actually get the drawer to work when it didn't want to. Scott laughingly called it 'Katie's magic touch'. Paul and Scott had joked before about what Katie's face would look like if either of them used their 'magic touch'!

Paul waited quietly, looking at the displays as the store emptied. Soon, only the grubby-looking man remained.

"Closing, sir," Katie told the man. "May I help you find what you're looking for?"

The man looked up from the record bin, glanced around the store, and in a sudden, fluid movement had a gun in his hand.

"Yeah, you can help me, little lady," he growled. "Help me clean out your cash drawer." He gestured with his gun toward the register. Scott backed away from the register, staring wide-eyed at the gunman.

"You, fella, get over here and put your hands on the counter," he commanded Paul. Paul moved quickly to obey. Katie was trembling, and stumbled as the man grabbed her arm and shoved her roughly toward the register. As Paul reached out to try to keep Katie from falling, the gunman said, "Oh, no you don't, fella. Keep your hands on the counter where I can see them, and don't you move! You don't really want to be a hero today. You'd end up a dead hero!" He pointed his gun at Paul. "BANG!" he cried with a crazed laugh. "Thought I'd got ya, didn't ya?" He giggled at his 'wit', then turned to Katie with a snarl. "Hurry up, woman, empty it all into this bag. Hurry up, I said!" he insisted as Katie fumbled nervously with the cash drawer, which was once again determined to stick.

Paul looked at Scott, who had edged away from the counter. The gunman had turned away from Scott, with his attention on the cash drawer. He was facing Paul, and still had his hand on Katie's arm. Paul glanced from the robber to Scott, and saw Scott slowly drawing his sphere from his pocket. Scott gazed steadily at his father, and held the sphere close to his body, but where Paul could see it. Paul concentrated on the sphere, and the gun suddenly grew red-hot. The robber shrieked in pain, dropping the gun and holding his burned hand in agony.

Scott closed his hand on the sphere quickly, but not quickly enough. Katie had turned and seen the blue light, and its source. As she stood gaping at Scott in amazement, the gunman made a quick move for his fallen gun, drawing her attention. She grabbed the suddenly-cooperative cash drawer, quickly jerked it out of its slot and broke it over the robber's head as he leaned down to try to grab the gun with his uninjured hand. He dropped to the floor, unconscious. Everything happened so quickly, it was over seemingly in an instant.

"What happened, Scott? What was that blue light?" Katie asked in bewilderment.

Paul responded, "Katie, we'll be happy to answer all your questions later, if you'll just keep our names out of the police report you're going to have to make about this." He put his hand on her shoulder, and gazed steadily into her eyes.

Katie felt a warm flow of peace and calm filing her. As she looked deeply into Paul's gentle blue eyes she knew she could do whatever Paul asked and trust him completely to have asked her to do only the right things. She looked from father to son in wonder, then realized what the implications of Paul's statement were. She had to protect them from the police for some reason. Whatever the problem, she was sure they were innocent of any wrong, and she would do all she could to protect them.

"Dad, someone is bound to have heard that man shout. We'd better go!" Scott urged.

"Paul?" Katie began hesitantly.  
"Katie, we haven't done anything wrong. I'll tell you all about it later, okay?"

Katie hesitated only a moment more. "Yes, go home, and I'll call the police and tell them what happened," she said. "I'll keep your names out of it."

"Dad, that guy saw us both, and he knows something made him drop that gun. How's Katie going to explain that?" Scott's face was filled with anxiety.

Katie was looking more closely at the gunman. The loose sleeves of his over shirt had slid up, revealing the telltale 'tracks' of a drug abuser. She took a deep breath and said, "Scott, it's obvious this guy is on drugs. Look at the needle marks on his arm. Who'd believe anything he said? Go on, I won't have any problems with the police. I'll come see you later, and we can talk about what happened."

"Wait a minute," Paul told Scott as Scott was heading for the door. "We can't leave him like this." He was looking at the man's burned hand. It would be difficult for Katie to explain away the burn. Paul pulled out his sphere and began to activate it.

As the blue light lit up Paul's face, Katie found herself more fascinated than afraid. She knew and trusted Paul and Scott. Whatever this weird thing was they had, she knew it wouldn't hurt her. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the burn on the robber's hand disappear, and the hand look normal again. She looked curiously at Paul as the blue light faded, but still felt no fear. The whole incident took only seconds.

"Come on, Scott, let's go," Paul said as he rose to leave.

"But, Dad," Scott began, looking from Paul to Katie with a worried frown.

"Katie will be fine, Scott, won't you, Katie?"

"Yes, Scott, I'll keep your secret, whatever it is, don't worry. I'm gonna love hearing this explanation, though!" Katie exclaimed.

Paul smiled at her as he and Scott headed out the door. "We'll see you later, Katie."

"You'd better believe it!" she replied.  
  
---  
  
Katie was right, the police accepted her story with no problem. The gunman turned out to be a schizophrenic drug abuser who was well-known to the police, and who had recently escaped from a nearby mental institution. The police commended Katie for her courage and quick action in 'knocking the gun from his hand and hitting him over the head with the cash drawer when he stooped to retrieve the gun.' It seemed incredible to them that Katie had been capable of such actions, but stranger things had happened.

When she'd finished her business with the police, Katie hurried over to Paul and Scott's apartment. She was shocked to find them with their bags nearly packed, anxious to leave.

"Where are you going?" she asked with concern.

"We'll have to leave now, Katie," Paul said regretfully.

"Why?" she asked. After a moment, she said, "It's because of the blue light, isn't it? What is it?"

Paul and Scott looked at each other and sighed. They never knew quite how to begin. Paul took a deep breath and began to tell the incredible story of who he and Scott truly were.

"Okay, Paul, so you're actually a little green man, right?" Katie still didn't quite know how to take all of this. It just didn't seem altogether real.

Paul continued earnestly, "No, Katie, I am actually a blue light. I just borrowed Paul Forrester's body so I could survive on this planet."

"So what was that light in the store? Was it you?"

"That light is a part of who I am, Katie, and a part of Scott, also."

"May I see it?"

"This?" Paul asked, holding up his sphere.

"That's not it, that's silver! The thing you had before was blue!" Katie protested.

"Like this?" Paul asked with an impish grin as he activated the sphere. He and Katie had spent a lot of time teasing each other, and this was just too good to resist.

Katie's eyes were glued to the sphere. "How did you do that?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I could explain it, Katie."

"It's fading away!"

"You've seen what you needed to see, Katie. Do you understand now?" he asked as he closed his hand over the sphere and put it back in his pocket.

"Yes. Oh, yes. Now I understand so much about you and Scott that puzzled me before. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me." Katie smiled at Paul and Scott. "I've always loved those science fiction books where people met beings from another world, in a friendly way. I never thought I'd be one of them!" They laughed together at that. Paul went on to explain why they were there, and the danger to them from the government.

"The government? My friend, Ben Wylie, works for the government. He does some kind of security work. Maybe he could find a way to make them leave you alone," Katie offered eagerly.

Paul and Scott looked at each other in dismay. "Wylie?" Scott exclaimed. "Your friend, Ben, the guy you told me about, is Wylie? Terrific," he groaned.

"Why, what's the matter?" Katie asked in consternation.

Paul explained. "Wylie is the chief assistant to the man who is chasing us, George Fox." He sighed, then turned to Scott. "Looks like we'd better leave now, Scott. Grab your things." Paul and Scott moved quickly toward the door, bags in hand.

"Why?" Katie felt terribly stupid. Too many things had happened too quickly for her to make any sense of them.

"We have to leave before Wylie gets back and finds us here," Paul told her. "He'll lead Fox straight to us."

"No, Ben isn't like that..." Katie began.

Scott interrupted. "Katie, Wylie may not be as bad a guy as his boss is, I don't know, but he'd lose his job for sure if he heard we were around and he didn't report it. He seems like the kind who always follows orders."

"Well, he is serious about his work, and tries to do his best, but..." Suddenly she remembered something Ben had said that day in the mountains.

"Oh, Paul. I told Ben there was a boy named Scott working in the shop," she said in dismay.

"When? What else did you tell him?" Paul asked quickly.

"Right after Scott started working there. It wasn't long after that that Ben had to go to Tennessee, and he's still there, as far as I know. He called a few days ago from someplace called Caney Branch. He still wasn't sure when he'd be back." her voice trailed off, then she turned back to Paul and said, "Do you know, when I told him about Scott's being so much nicer than other boys his age, he told me he knows a boy named Scott. He said he seems like a nice kid, too. I suggested maybe if was the same boy, but he said his Scott lives on the West Coast, and he doubted he'd ever come this far east." She paused, then looked up at Scott and said with a sick laugh, "Wouldn't he be surprised to find out it was you all along?"

"Yeah, I guess he would," Scott agreed with an equally sick groan.  
  
---  
  
That same evening, Fox and Wylie returned to DC from Tennessee. Ben had left his car at the airport, so he dropped Fox of at the office, then headed home. Fox never went straight home after these trips, preferring to pace in his office for hours on end, planning his next move in his effort to capture Forrester.

Wylie always looked forward to a hot shower and the peace of his own home after these trips with Fox. This time he was also looking forward to getting together with Katie as soon as possible. He would never have believed he could miss someone as much as he'd missed her while he was gone this time. Several times on this trip, Fox would be telling Wylie something, and wind up having to repeat it because Ben had been thinking of Katie when he should have been listening to Fox.

Fox had thought Wylie a useless human being before, but now, in some ways, he seemed even more incompetent because of his daydreaming about Katie. Fox found to his surprise, however, that Wylie would not quietly take the verbal abuse Fox was so used to giving him. Ben was beginning to stand up for himself, and show an improving self-confidence in many areas. Having someone who believed in him and his abilities as Katie did was beginning to make Wylie believe in himself again.

Whistling cheerfully, Ben dried off after his shower, dressed quickly in well-worn jeans and a comfortable shirt, and headed out the door, determined to surprise Katie by his arrival at her apartment. He had a bounce in his step that hadn't been there in all the time he'd been gone. It was going to be so wonderful to hold Katie again, to see her smiling green eyes sparkling up at him, to hear her musical laughter. He nearly ran to his car, and sped over to her apartment. When he arrived, he was disappointed to find she wasn't home. Well, what did he expect, anyway? He had wanted to surprise her, and hadn't told her when he'd be back. She was probably out with some friends. She should return soon. He settled down to wait.  
  
---  
  
"You'll need some money, won't you?" Katie asked as Paul and Scott locked up their apartment for the last time.

"We have some, Katie, don't worry," Paul replied.

"But Scott hasn't been paid for this week, and I bet you haven't been paid yet either. I have some money at home, enough for you two to eat on for several days. Come with me and I'll give it to you. My place is on your way out of town anyway." Katie was so insistent and so obviously upset about her possible betrayal of Scott to Wylie, Paul and Scott felt they should let her help them so she'd feel better. They all headed for her apartment, Paul and Scott loaded down with their duffle bags. It wasn't a long walk to her place, and the night was crisp and clear. They felt fairly certain that Fox didn't know where they were yet. If he did, Wylie and Fox would already be back from Tennessee, hot on their trail. Since Wylie hadn't told Katie he was on his way home yet, they felt they had a little time to spare, so they decided to enjoy their walk in the cool night air.  
  
---  
  
Fox paced and pondered, pondered and paced, struggling to find a clue in all the interviews they'd done. His budget problems were about to drive him to distraction too. What could he do to convince General Wade that the government needed to give him not only continued, but increased funding? Fox felt a need for someone to bounce ideas off of. He felt the solution was right at his fingertips, if he could just get his mind started in the right direction. He knew he often did his best thinking out loud.

Wylie came immediately to Fox's mind, because his tirades at poor Wylie often triggered different trains of thought in Fox. He'd go get Wylie and use him to stimulate his own thought processes. He'd often done this in the past, and, while Wylie might not be happy about the long, after-hours work sessions, he was used to it. Agents at Wylie's and Fox's levels didn't know what a '40 hour work week' was. They worked until the job was done, then they could stop. Running to the parking lot, Fox drove off in a rush towards Wylie's house.

As he arrived at Wylie's, Fox saw him driving away. Fox followed, determined to get him back to the office to do more work.

Ben parked his car in front of a small apartment house, and ran up to the door, but returned in moments to his car, looking somewhat disappointed. He sat in the car, apparently watching or waiting for something. Curious, Fox decided to watch Wylie and see what was going on. Wylie had been acting oddly the last few weeks. Maybe Fox could find out why if he kept him under observation for awhile.

Ben soon got out of his car and paced back and forth, impatient with Katie's lateness. He had a sudden thought that she might still be at work, because she often worked after hours changing displays or doing inventory. He jumped back into his car and headed for the record store, tires squealing as he rounded the corner.

Fox, surprised at Wylie's sudden departure, started his car and followed him. Wylie certainly wasn't acting like the Wylie Fox thought he knew. What could possibly be going on? Wylie had seemed to be doing some kind of surveillance of that apartment building, then had left suddenly. Fox's mind leaped toward a conclusion which would only occur to him. What if Wylie had a lead on the alien? Could Wylie possibly be planning to capture the alien himself and try to get all the credit? All kinds of incredible thoughts chased each other through Fox's mind as he followed Wylie through the small town.

>  
  
---  
  
Wylie hadn't noticed the three people walking through the park across the street toward the apartment building. Nor did Katie notice Ben's car, engrossed as she was in conversation with Paul and Scott, until the squeal of Wylie's tires rounding the corner attracted their attention.

Paul and Scott, with their nerves already on edge, and accustomed as they were to living cautiously, jumped toward some bushes.

"What's the matter, guys?" Katie asked.

"The tires squealing...." Paul answered with obvious tension in his voice.

"Did you think someone was after you? That was just a car peeling out around the corner. We have kids around here that take pride in the tire patches on the road they can claim as theirs," Katie said reassuringly. "They're noisy, but fairly harmless."

"Peeling out?" Paul asked as he and Scott climbed from their hiding places. Paul looked at Scott, who smiled and shrugged at his father. Paul knew Scott accepted Katie's explanation, and he tried to do the same.

"You know, spinning their tires in place to lay a patch of rubber. Oh, yeah," Katie continued with a wide-eyed glance at Paul, "maybe you don't know! I don't have any idea how much you know about us down here. Tomorrow I'm going to wake up and wonder what I ate to make me have such a weird dream!" she exclaimed.

Paul smiled down at Katie. If only everyone reacted this way to meeting an 'alien'! Still, he was uneasy. He'd be glad to be on the road again, and find another quiet place to stay hidden from Fox for awhile.

>  
  
---  
  
When Wylie arrived at the record store, he found it dark and empty. John Mason, the elderly owner of the book store next door, was just closing up when he noticed Wylie's car.

"Hi, Ben! Back from your trip, huh?" he said as he walked over to Wylie's car. He'd often seen Ben with Katie, and knew Ben must have come to look for Katie. Mason got a lot of pleasure out of watching the two of them together. It took him back to his courting days. Katie was special, and he enjoyed watching these young men squiring her about. This new man with the boy seemed rather taken with Katie too. He couldn't blame him. He thought she was such a cutie, he'd probably try to date her himself if he were younger.

"Yeah, Mr. Mason, just got back. How are you?" Ben responded.

"I'm fine. Say, have you heard about the excitement down here today?"

"What excitement?"

"Katie was robbed! I heard the sirens when the cops came to investigate, and saw the ambulance pull away. Don't know who was hurt, though. Didn't hear any shots, but I heard the guy was armed."

"Is Katie all right? Who was hurt?" Ben's face was filled with alarm.

Mr. Mason cursed himself as a senile old fool that he'd been so careless in how he told Ben the news. In all the excitement, he hadn't stopped to think that Katie might have been the one who was hurt, or that telling Ben about it would upset him so. He tried to calm Ben.

"Now, son, I'm sure Katie is fine. Just go to her house and see if she's there."

"I've been there already, and she wasn't!" Ben said, getting more and more distressed.

"Well, she would have had to make a report at the police station. It's been a couple of hours or so now, so she may be finished with the police and be on her way home. Why don't you check her place again, then check with the police if she isn't there yet? That would probably be your best bet," he said soothingly.

"Yes, thanks, I'll do that," Ben said distractedly as he turned back to his car. He got in and sat there, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he tried to make his churning thoughts run in coherent channels. He started the engine and did a racing U-turn in the street, heading back for her apartment.

Wylie's training took over for his numbed mind. The procedures to follow to locate a missing person clicked into line in his head. First, her apartment. Then, the police. Next, area hospitals. He fought for control of the car as he careened around corners at high speeds. His imagination kept bringing awful images to his mind, of Katie hurt, or... He shook his head impatiently, trying to force his mind back into the safety of procedures, struggling to keep his imagination from overwhelming him. Katie had to be all right, she just had to!

When Fox saw Wylie talking at such length to the old man in front of the store, his curiosity got the better of him, and he pulled his car up as close as he dared, trying to find out what was going on. He heard the elderly man say something about 'police' and 'report' and decided to call the station himself to find out what had happened that could make Wylie act so oddly. He used his car phone and the clout of his position with the FSA to get the desk sergeant to tell him what had happened, who was involved, and the names of witnesses. In passing, the sergeant told him that the owner of a neighboring shop had told him a boy worked part-time for Katie, and that he would be questioned the next day.

"What boy?" Fox asked.

"His name's...let me see, it's here somewhere... Ah, here it is! Scott Forrester."

"Thank you, Sergeant," Fox replied, filing the information in the back of his mind. Suddenly, his mind was racing again. Scott FORRESTER? Could it be? Right here, practically in his own backyard? Couldn't be. Naah. Then again...

Fox leaped out of his idling car and took the ever-present photos from his pocket as he approached the old shopkeeper who was now walking away from the book store.

"Sir? Excuse me, sir?" Fox called.

"Yes? You want me, son?" Mason replied, turning toward Fox.

"Yes, I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for this man and this boy. I wondered if you've seen them around here." Fox pulled out every ounce of charm he could muster. He couldn't let his temper blow this lead, if it was one. If it turned out to be a real lead, it would be the closest he'd been to Forrester in a long time. He could hardly contain his impatience as Mason examined the photos closely in the light of a street lamp, his head tilted back so his bifocals could focus on the pictures.

"Oh, yes, that's that nice boy who's working for Katie now, and this is his dad! Not very good pictures, are they? They're nice-looking boys, both of them. You ought to get them to give you better pictures!" Mason smiled pleasantly as he returned the photos to Fox.

Fox was ready to explode with excitement. He struggled to control his voice and actions so he wouldn't scare the old codger.

"Could you tell me where they're living now? I'm an old friend, and I'd like to surprise them." Yeah, Fox thought, I'll surprise them all right!

"No, son, can't say I know where they live. Now, Katie is real good friends with them, and I imagine she knows where to find them. You might ask her."

"Katie?"

"Katie O'Hara, the girl who runs this record store. That fella that just left here was heading to her place. You might still be able to follow him, if you hurry."

"Thank you, sir, I'll just do that. I appreciate your help, more than you know," Fox said sincerely as he dashed toward his car. His quick mind began spinning at the possibility of Wylie's treachery. Wylie had always been soft on the boy. He must know more than he was admitting! And to think they'd spent all this time messing around in Tennessee, wasting their precious, depleted budget, when Forrester and Scott were right here in Virginia! Fox pushed his accelerator to the floor as he raced after the departing Wylie's tail lights.  
  
---  
  
At her apartment, Katie was handing Paul and Scott all the money she had in her purse and apartment, along with some food and blankets.

"It's going to get chillier once you hit the mountains. You'll need these extra blankets. Are you going back to the West Coast again?" she asked.

"We don't know yet. We'll just find a way to disappear for awhile, I guess," Paul replied. "Thanks for everything, Katie. I'm glad we got the chance to know you," he continued as they walked outside.

"I enjoyed getting to know you too, Paul, and Scott, you really are a special kid. You look after your dad, you hear?"

"I will," Scott responded.

"Do I get a kiss?" Katie asked Paul with a hint of her usual sparkle in her eyes.

"Sure, just don't tell Wylie! He's got enough reasons to be after me," Paul chuckled as he leaned down and gently kissed her. "Goodbye, Katie," he said fondly.

At the tone of his father's voice, Scott looked at Paul sharply. There was a warmth and tenderness in Paul's voice that Scott had rarely heard. Looking at his father reassured Scott that Paul hadn't fallen in love with Katie, however. He realized then how very special Katie was to both of them, and that they were both equally sorry to have to leave her. Her easy acceptance of their alien nature plus her natural warmth and charm endeared her to both Paul and Scott greatly. Scott was relieved that Paul would experience only the pain of leaving a cherished friend, not the agony of leaving someone he truly loved.

When Paul kissed her, something inside Katie clicked into place, and she knew with great certainty how she felt about Paul and Ben. She gazed into Paul's eyes for a long moment, then smiled and hugged him.

"Take good care of yourself and Scott, Paul. Maybe someday the government will understand you and be glad you came. Maybe then they'll find a way for you to be able to share your knowledge with the world, and still have the privacy to live in peace. I hope so, anyway."

"I hope that day comes soon, Katie, so Scott and I can find Jenny and settle down. I'd really like to have a private little corner just for us," Paul responded wistfully.

"Come on, Scott, I need at least a hug from you," Katie said with tears in her eyes.

"Bye, Katie. It was great working with you," Scott said as he leaned down to hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek. As he hugged her, he noticed a car which had stopped a short way down the road, with its engine and lights still on.

"Scott...." Paul warned at the same moment Scott turned to leave. They walked toward the rear of Katie's building, afraid to move quickly and draw attention to themselves, in case this car didn't represent a threat to them. Katie was surprised at their sudden departure, and looked around to see what had caused it.

Wylie had driven up just in time to witness the tender scene between Katie and Paul, and their kiss. He stopped and stared, at first relieved, then incredulous. Katie was all right, thank God, she was all right! But what was she doing? Kissing another man? Not just another man, but of all people, Paul Forrester! He sat in his car for a moment, relief about Katie's being safe being overtaken by pain. At first, Ben felt his heart must be breaking, then he felt a growing rage toward Forrester that would have made George Fox proud. He was so numbed by anger and heartache, he didn't even see Katie and Scott's farewell. He climbed out of his car slowly, as if in physical pain, just as Paul and Scott were walking away.

"Katie!" he cried, moving toward her. Paul and Scott broke into a run, disappearing behind Katie's apartment building. Wylie's rage exploded. "Forrester! Stop!" he shouted at the rapidly-departing figures of Paul and Scott as he began to run after them.

"Ben!" Katie exclaimed, running to embrace him as soon as she heard him call her name. "When did you get back? It's so good to see you. I missed you!" As he yelled after Paul and Scott, she realized he had seen them, and intended to pursue them. She hoped she could distract him long enough for them to get away.

Ben pushed her roughly away from him and stared down at her. "Do you know those two are wanted by the government? What were you doing with them?" He was shouting angrily, breathing hard as if he'd run a race. Suddenly, his voice broke. "You were kissing Forrester, Katie. Why?"

Katie hesitated, stepping back and staring at him in confusion. She wasn't quite sure how to handle this Ben she'd never seen before. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm herself.

"They're friends of mine, Ben. They're going away. I was telling them goodbye," she said quietly, putting her hands on his arms soothingly.

"You were kissing him," Ben repeated, looking at her reproachfully. "I thought you cared for me," he continued in a quiet, heartbroken voice. He turned and walked away from Katie, his anger suddenly gone, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed in anguish.

Katie realized his feelings for her were much stronger than she'd dared to hope, even stronger than his desire to capture Paul and Scott. She ran to Ben and stopped in front of him, gripping his arms tightly to get his attention. He seemed to be too dazed to hear her.

"I DO care for you, Ben," she began. He raised his sorrowful brown eyes to look at her in confusion. "In fact, I love you, Ben Wylie!" She watched him for a reaction, but he still seemed not to have heard her. She shook his arms as if to waken him. "Benjamin Daniel Wylie, did you hear me? I said I love you! "

Bewildered, Wylie stared at her for a long moment. "You do?" he finally managed to say. He put his hands gently on her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes, as if searching them for the truth. Suddenly, Ben's grip on her shoulders tightened and grim lines showed in his face as he looked up to see Fox's car coming to a rapid halt beside them. Katie looked from Ben's face to the intense man leaping from the car. Her eyes widened in fright and she felt a desperate urge to run as she realized who he must be. She wished Paul and Scott had gotten a longer head start.

"Wylie, good work!" Fox exclaimed as he strode purposefully over to them. How rarely had Wylie heard those words from George Fox! "Is that the girl Scott was working for? Where are Forrester and the boy? I'll question her!" Fox tried to take over, as usual.

Wylie was having none of it. He made one of his rare, snap decisions. This time, it was a good one. If Katie thought Forrester and his son were worthy of her friendship, that was good enough for him. He'd always hated what Fox was trying to do to them anyway. He snapped into a tall, confident posture and spoke with a rare authority in his voice.

"Mr. Fox, Forrester and the boy were here," Wylie said, continuing to hold a shocked, frightened Katie by the shoulders. She couldn't believe Ben was going to betray them! She had thought him a finer man than that.

"They left about an hour ago in an older-model blue truck, headed that way," Wylie continued, indicating a direction totally opposite the one taken by Paul and Scott only moments before. "This witness saw them leave, but she didn't get a license number on the truck. I've already begun questioning her. She heard them mention Maryland. Why don't you go after them while I finish with her?"

Fox had never heard Wylie make so much sense all at one time before! Amazing! He jumped into his car and took off.

Katie slumped against Ben's chest with relief. "Thank you, Ben," she said after a moment. "That should give them enough time to get a good distance away before he finds their trail." She held onto Wylie's waist tightly as he gently stroked the tension from her back.

"If he finds their trail. Sometimes he's not too bright!" Ben smiled as he wrapped his arms warmly around Katie and kissed the top of her head, drinking in the clean, fresh fragrance of her hair. Katie lifted her eyes to look at the sweet face of the man she loved.

"What was that you were saying about loving me?" he asked innocently. Katie slid her arms around his neck, moved into his embrace and kissed him quite thoroughly enough to remove any doubts he might have had about her loving him.  
  
---  
  
"That was a surprise, wasn't it, Dad?"

"What?"

"Finding out that Katie was Wylie's girl."

Paul chuckled. "Wylie isn't as bad as he seems. He just hangs around with the wrong people!"

"Yeah. Maybe Katie can straighten him out," Scott returned with a smile.

"I think Katie just might make a new man of Wylie," Paul replied. "Fox may be in for a surprise one of these days. Katie is quite a woman. Wylie will have to work hard to keep up with her, but she's worth the effort, I think."

"Oh, yeah? I thought you liked her an awful lot, Kemo Sabe!"

"I thought you liked her an awful lot, Scott! I was beginning to think you might be getting interested in an 'older woman'!" Paul teased.

"Right!" Scott said with a laugh. They trudged on in companionable silence.

"Scott?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"What's 'Kemo Sabe'?"

THE END


End file.
